Headed Battle (Pokemon Short)
by Sean.D.Rice.17
Summary: Stereotype warning. Tragedy quickly falls upon Noah and his beloved partner Braixen. After losing a battle, he has only one night left with her. The two are heartbroken. Braixen knows she must let him know how she really feels about him. It's now, or never.


EDIT: Removed all the text that obscured the entire document.

Braixen and I have always been the best of friends. Inseparable. Closer bond than any other Trainer we've met. If we ever got physically separated she could find me by sniffing out my scent that was carried by the gentle winds of the Kalos region. At this point you could say we couldn't exist without each other. But like what my father had always said, bonds with your Pokémon can take you far, but not far enough. That is why we took to include long hours of training for battle.

Today, the air was moist from the many previous thunderstorms that shook Lumiose City. Braixen would have trouble in these conditions, being a pure Fire type. My other Pokémon, a Riolu which hatched from an egg a rather peculiar trainer couple had given me, needed rest from training. So, with Braixen still out of her Pokéball, we decided to take it easy today.

As many local residents had mentioned, it only ever rained in this area, even then it was little to nothing, so this had left many shaken up. The roads were still closed due to the lack of preparation for such an event.

This Pokémon Center was somewhat large (considering it's one of three that are needed in the biggest city in Kalos), with both human and Pokémon services. Squished between two even larger buildings that lined one of the halves of the giant Pokéball the city resembled, the first-floor lobby had one mini restaurant, with many sets of tables on each side of the entrance. There was a fountain in the middle; a stone Greninja spewed water from its fingertips into the basin below, assuming a fighting position with one leg in the air. Further in, staff members waited at the front desk to help reserve rooms or assist injured Pokémon. Retaining symmetry, two doorways were on either side of the desk that open up to the rest of the center. From where I was sitting, I could see the courtyard, along with but a sample of the elegant flowers that were grown there and in every other center in the region. From somewhere, elevators dinged and the healing chime could be heard every now and then, trainers reuniting with their precious Pokémon.

Braixen and I sat on the left side, our quadrant of tables almost empty. My head was down while I examined my Pokedex and all its features. With all the kinds of Pokémon that could be found in the entire region, it seemed to bring the rest of the world into one place. A little piece of every region combined into one. That is how I saw Kalos. If only it wasn't so focused on industry, only then would I consider it on par with the beauty of the Sinnoh region, where I came from. You could say my preferences are biased, but who else does it matter to?

Out of the corner of my vision, Braixen was staring right at me, I look up at her, curious to what she wanted, but she quickly averted her eyes, cheeks red.

"Hm?" I let out. Braixen shook her head to shake off the topic. I got up and stretched. "We should go out for a little walk. If it rains again, I got an umbrella. What do you say, girl?"

Suddenly enlightened, she nods quickly. "Kyyun!"

"Okay, let's go." I stood up, slinging my bag over my shoulder and checking to make sure I didn't leave anything behind. Braixen's Pokéball... Riolu's Pokéball... Ok? Ok. And we were off.

—

Braixen was walking oddly close to me. Usually she likes to run around and interact with others Pokémon, but today she was silent and was right on my tail.

I enjoyed it. I-

Prism tower stood in front of us.

I wanted-

We passed by many shops. The sky was cloudy and gray, but there was not a raindrop in sight. Staying on the sidewalk, many taxis zoomed by at a somewhat higher speed than usual. Considerably, even. As we headed towards Centrico Plaza, the heart of the Kalos region, a handful of other trainers walked by, all male. Some stared at Braixen as they passed. Two of them almost tripped. One guy had the nerve to wolf whistle at her, a Pokémon. I suppose more than just a few people have had the thought cross their minds at least once. Braixen was flustered.

"Take a picture, it'll last longer," I growled at the guy. Braixen growled as well. He chucked.

"Say, friend, how about a battle? One on one? You seem to think you can mess around with the likes of me. The winner," He retrieved a Timer Ball from his Pokéball belt. "takes the loser's Pokémon. If you decline, well... You'll regret it, no matter how tough you think you are."

Why the battle all of a sudden? Did he really want Braixen that badly? I mean, as her trainer, I've kept her coat looking pretty and the such, but who would even think about...?

"I accept. You'll be the one to regret challenging me." I sneered at him, Braixen copying me.

The closest Pokémon Center. the Magenta Center, was where the battle would be held. One of the doctors there volunteered to be the battle coach. Good thing a guy like him couldn't possibly be biased in judging the Pokémon's ability to fight.

We were using one Pokémon each. The other Trainer clutched his Timer Ball with complete confidence. What Pokémon could he have to give him such cockiness? I went with Braixen, Riolu being too ill-experienced for a battle like this.

We both stepped up to the battlefield. Surprisingly, a variety of other Trainers were sitting in the seats surrounding the place. Ace, Psychic, Breeder, Veteran Trainers... They seemed electrified to see who would come out on top. I only assumed they were fans of the guy going against me. Ace Trainers were always oh-so-obviously full of themselves, yet they still maintained some sort of fanbase.

I swept my medium, jet-black hair out of my face. I swore to Arceus almighty my heart was gonna burst out of my chest and hop away like a scared bunny trying to get away from its predators.

Though, it was more likely it was going to get caught no matter how hard it fought.

I always got like this before a battle. It has held true since the days of my childhood, replacing what should have been anticipation just before simple video game battles with long lost friends.

Braixen must've noticed my usual shakiness, because she took my hand and willed me to look up at her.

"Kyun!" She stated strongly. I had no idea how to speak Pokémon, but I could sense her confidence. I had sensed something else from the atmosphere of the area, the antsy crowd, the confident Ace, the impatient coach.

This battle will put our bond to the ultimate test.

"Are you ready?" The battle coached asked us.

"As ready as I'll ever be," I replied, keeping my voice as steady as possible.

He asked the same thing to the Ace Trainer, who simply nodded and laughed.

"Right. The battle between Ace Trainer Alvin from Anistar City and Pokémon Trainer Noah from Hearthome City in Sinnoh will now begin!"

The battle screen that stretched across the west side of the battlefield came to life with our self-portraits and the species of my Pokémon. Alvin's Pokémon's picture was a greyed out Timer Ball. Great. I still didn't know what we were up against.

"We got this, okay? Just do your best." I tightened my grip on her hand. "If the unthinkable happens, promise me... Promise me you'll never forget me, ok?" Braixen nodded. As tears welled up in my vision, I caught sight of Braixen's eyes. They too were clouded with tears. But now wasn't the time for crying. I blinked them out of my eyes and wiped hers away. "Time for our training to pay off, Braixen."

Alvin called for his Pokémon: "Go! Seviper!"

His Timer Ball flew in a perfectly thrown arc, opening in midair to reveal the red-fanged serpent Pokémon on the ground below after a brilliant flash of yellow-white light and the illusion of a clock.

"Let's makes this official. Return, Braixen." Already holding her plain red and white Pokéball, she dissolved into a red plasma-like beam, residing in it once more. A moment later, I threw the ball towards the spot on the field that resembled the same shape.

"Braixen!" I may as well ripped my throat raw from the volume of my voice. "On the front line!"

The Pokéball responded instantly, revealing Braixen from a white light whiter than paper, afterward bouncing back to the clutches of my hands. Pushing the button to shrink the capsule, I returned it to where it belonged on my belt.

"Now," the coach yelled, swinging down both arms as he said: "Battle begin!" The crowd said it with him in unison.

—-

It was a staredown.

Alvin and I locked eyes, and so did Braixen and Seviper. All of our faces expressed the memories from every past battle. There was something in Alvin's eyes that showed me where his motive came from. A sense of... Tiredness, like being worn down. I knew, I knew for sure. He had fought more battles than us. But his cockiness may as well be his downfall if Braixen and I could play the right cards-

"Toxic." The word, carried by the wind, reached every corner of the stadium. My mind could feel its entire journey from Alvin's lips to my ears, breaking the silence- and the ringing. Seviper followed his Trainer's orders, moving so silently the ringing persisted.

The sound of psychological pain...

Braixen prepared herself.

The worst kind of torture you could ever put anybody though.

Utter silence.

Intense ringing. It was like being trapped in a small box. There was no way out.

I closed my eyes. The only reason I fell asleep every night, the only reason I was alive today. The only reason I was never alone, not one moment since I made the biggest decision of my life after arriving in the Kalos region.

Because of... Because of...

"Braixen!" It was one minute, it was one second; after hearing Alvin's order, I had responded almost immediately. Seviper was already about to strike. "Howl, now!"

She remained silent until the last second, pushing her lungs to the limit to get the loudest possible sound. It was so intense, I had to cover my own ears for the first time, despite my slightly dulled sense. Seviper flinched and cancelled the attack. Braixen's Attack power was also raised. A perfect chance to strike with a physical move.

"Flame Charge! Do it!" I ordered, thrusting a fist into the air dramatically.

Cloaking herself in flames, she dashed forward at the still-flinching Seviper at an alarming speed. Smoke from the fire covered the collision. When the smoke cleared, Seviper had coiled himself around Braixen in such a way that his fangs were positioned at the left side of her torso.

"Now," Alvin ordered in a cool voice, like a knife whooshing through air. He snapped his fingers twice. "Venom Drench."

Braixen's face had said it all. I had never heard nor seen that move before, but it was, for sure, not a move to mess around with.

Sevipers fangs were now dripping with a slushy, purple liquid. Pokémon poison. A few drops fell onto Braixen's otherwise unruffled fur. She flinched. Her left arm, Braixen's non-dominant one, was left free. I willed her with my mind to grab her stick that resided in her tail's fur. She stopped struggling and tried to quickly grab it, but Seviper caught on right away. He sunk his oozing fangs into her.

Such screams of agony, I'll never forget them. Never. I willed her to try again.

Grab your stick! Use Flamethrower! Fight it Braixen, fight it!

She struggled, but her arm went behind her and towards her tail.

You're strong. I know you are. Remember the thunderstorms? Last time, you weren't scared of the thunder. You fought your fear. We've won three badges together. Just the two of us. All that we've accomplished. It's because you're strong. You and I... We can do anything!

Her hand wrapped around the stick in her tail.

You're the strongest Pokémon I know! Don't hesitate for a second... On my mark...

"Now! Flamethrower!"

Braixen waved her stick across Seviper's forehead, sending a wave of flames to obscure his vision. He released his jaw, unleashing cries of agony. Braixen kneeled from the damage, already taking enough damage to begin weakening her. Thankfully, she did not seem poisoned, as the move's substance quickly lost potency. But from her hip, a bit of inky red blood slowly oozed out. The injury wasn't fatal, but it certainly needed treatment, and soon.

"Flamethrower, again!" I ordered Braixen.

"Seviper, Toxic!" Alvin ordered at the same time. My voice cracked when I ordered Braixen, but Alvin's voice had remained completely unbroken throughout the entire battle, thus far. "Now!"

Before Braixen could charge up a decent Flamethrower, Seviper's tail had slashed her chest. Albeit not very deep, the poison from that move was sure to leave her harshly poisoned. She'll run out of energy very soon. I had to act fast.

Wait, weren't Poison types weak to Psychic? types? Braixen knew the move Psychic-

Ah, crap! That would've been useful to remember earlier, how could I have forgotten?!

Braixen yelped, and looked at me hopefully. Her fox-like eyes glimmered with the hint of tears, and I couldn't look away. Instead, I place both of my hands in front of me, between Braixen and my body. I yell one last order, using the power of our psychic bond as a last resort.

Braixen dodged another swift slash of Seviper's Toxic tail. Clasping her other hand on her stick, she synced up with my mind. She stood up, panting. Her stick was glowing purple.

"Psychic! Full power!" I felt as weakened as Braixen was. Our pain was being split between us, though not quite like the move. It was all in my head. Using her still-developing powers, Braixen swung Seviper in the air and into the ground.

Then, she fell onto all fours.

Please, I begged. Please.

Both Pokémon were struggling to stay up. That's when it ran through my head. I knew that whatever happened, no matter how bleak things could get, that one day we will reunite again. No matter what, we were never truly apart. That's what was so special about the bond between us.

And that's why...

...That's why...

...She fainted first.

—

I sprinted towards Braixen, fallen on the battlefield like a dead angel. Like the end of an era. A harsh, yet new beginning. Every time my feet dug into the ground, willing myself to go faster, was completely silent. The collective cheers from the crowd was just a ghost of a sound, reduced to the same wind that carried the sound of me calling Braixen's name.

The only sound I heard was from the coach. He opened his mouth to speak.

"Braixen..."

No...

"Is unable to battle..."

We've trained so hard. This wasn't supposed to happen!

"...Which means the winner is Alvin from Anistar City!"

I finally reached her. I wrapped my arms gently around her torso. She returned the embrace. I could feel her heartbeat; it was very slow, like she couldn't hold on anymore. I spoke softly into her right ear.

"You did good, girl, you did good. I'm still proud of you. I always will be. Now let's get you patched up, okay?" I felt her head sway up and down.

I turned to Alvin, with Braixen still in my arms. He simply returned Seviper to his Timer Ball without a word. He bore a confident smirk.

Oh, how I wish I could just punch that smirk off that blue-haired bastard's face.

"We'll seal the deal tomorrow," I spoke softly.

"Fair enough. Remember what happens to a Trainer when he abandons a deal, however?" Alvin walked past me and out of the battlefield. "You'll never have a roof to sleep under again.

"Until tomorrow, Braixen. Au revoir."

I carried Braixen bridal style to a waiting Nurse Joy just a way's back inside the center. I took a seat in the lobby with a head hung low.

What am I gonna do without her?

After what felt like an hour (I was not keeping track of time with my Pokedex), the unforgettable healing chime played and my name appeared on the screen above the desk.

I got up and jogged towards the front desk. A helper Wigglytuff brought me Braixen sitting on one of those stretcher/cart things. I pat the Wigglytuff's head and said: "Thank you." It simply responded with: "Wiggly-tuff!" And returned to the Pokémon ward.

"Cmon, Braixen. Let's go for one last walk together."

Braixen followed without hesitation. We had to get back to the North Pokémon center anyway; the rest of our belongings were still in my room there.

By now, the clearing sky was shifting into a orange-red as the sun approached the west horizon. Not too far from the Magenta Pokémon Center, my line of sight sprightly blocked by other tall buildings, was Prism Tower. We witnessed its lights turning on for the night right then and there, for the first time since we got caught up here in Lumiose. It was quite the pretty sight, unlike anything else I'd seen since arriving in Kalos. I looked at Braixen. If I hadn't accepted that offer to come to this region and challenge the Pokémon league, I would never have met Braixen back when she was a Fennekin, along with those other two Pokémon who had wanted me to pick them just as badly. I wonder how Froakie and Chespin were holding up.

Braixen apparently had an idea. She grabbed my hand and started running towards the lighted tower. It didn't take a genius to know that someone entered Prism Tower for two reasons: One: To challenge the Electric Gym Leader, Clemont, or two: To look out over all of Lumiose and beyond to witness the beautiful view the sunset produced every night from Spring to Fall. Kalos certainly gave off a unique charm, all right.

Though the doors, up the stairs, and onto the balcony. The view from up there reminded me of a place I still dreamt about in that strange alternate world. I had not forgotten those dreams, not since they started when I was nine. Prism Tower's shape was almost exactly the same as the tower from my last dream.

Braixen and I looked over the rail and at the setting sun. This moment felt like a dream. The next thing I know I was into Braixen's eyes. Those beautiful eyes were as captivating as if she'd used Attract on me.

"You know, I've always been meaning to thank you, Braixen. You've made my quest in Kalos one that almost tops Sinnoh's, and I owe it all to you-" I began, all emotional.

Before I could finish, Braixen bursted into tears. I had no idea a Fire type Pokémon could shed so many tears, let alone produce them. Sometime after her, I started crying, too. My tears were those uncomfortably warm ones, the ones that people usually shed when they're so upset, their sadness is almost like an anger, and that anger is what makes the tears so warm.

We here hugging tightly. Nobody was around to interrupt us.

"I'm gonna miss you... I'm gonna miss you so much, Alvin won't ever understand. Braixen..." I pull out of the hug slightly so our faces met. "Thank you for being the best partner a Trainer could ask for."

"Kyun! Ky-un Kyun!" Braixen shouted, shutting her eyes tight to get tears out of them. Was she trying to tell me something? Something beyond the mutual understanding we had as our communication?

She put both her hands on my shoulders, her face full of determination as she shakes away the last of her tears. I still wept slightly.

"Braixen...? What are you-"

Without another word, she kissed me. On the lips. She breathed hot air out of her nose.

My eyes were wide open. My mind was void of any and all thoughts. I wouldn't be surprised if my heart wasn't beating.

Who knows how long we were there. Again, I had lost track of time completely. I did that whenever I was not very focused. Her lips heated mine like a sauna. Her being a Fire type, well, what else would you expect? Braixen moved her hands from my shoulders back down to my waist. She willed me to return the kiss.

What am I supposed to do? It was impossible for a human and Pokémon to be together, even less so now because I would not see her again after tonight. My mind automatically came up with a simple explanation: Pokémon cannot love the way humans do, therefore she simply was doing this as her way to thank me for being so nice to her. It's how she viewed kissing, right? Right?

Her fur was so soft...

The sun was almost completely gone now.

Her hands were so delicate...

I could not stop thinking about her. In my mind, I thought to myself, fuck it. Just kiss her back.

And so I did. I regretted nothing.


End file.
